BJP Distant Second, Trinamool’s Total Triumph In Bengal Civic Polls

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress swept all the seven urban local bodies for which elections were held on Sunday. The BJP emerged as the number two, which the party will hold up as evidence that it is now the principle opposition party in West Bengal, where it had almost no presence till a few years ago. Of the total 148 wards spread across various pockets of the state, the Trinamool Congress won an 140 and the BJP six. Left Front partner Forward Bloc won one seat while an independent also emerged victorious. The Communist Party of India-Marxist, which heads the Left Front, and the Congress drew a blank in the polls held on Sunday.

Elections were held for seven urban local bodies which make up five municipalities, one notified authority and one municipal corporation. Votes are being counted today.

The BJP and CPM had both demanded that the polls be cancelled alleging that the ruling Trinamool used violence and the elections booth capturing to rig and "made a mockery of democracy, Especially in Durgapur, Sunday's elections were held amid violence."

Mamata Banerjee's winning coninues in todays result streak in her state, where she swept assembly elections last year to win a second term as Chief Minister. Since then, her party has dominated local body elections, winning four of seven municipal bodies for which elections were held in in May this year, including a win in Mirik in the hills of Darjeeling.

After the party came second in a by-election in West Bengal's Kanthi Dakshin assembly seat to the Trinamool earlier this year and increased its vote share substantially since the assembly elections in the one year, Mr Shah had thanked voters for making the BJP "the principal opposition party" in the state.

BJP Distant Second, Trinamool’s Total Triumph In Bengal Civic Polls

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress swept all the seven urban local bodies for which elections were held on Sunday. The BJP emerged as the number two, which the party will hold up as evidence that it is now the principle opposition party in West Bengal, where it had almost no presence till a few years ago. Of the total 148 wards spread across various pockets of the state, the Trinamool Congress won an 140 and the BJP six. Left Front partner Forward Bloc won one seat while an independent also emerged victorious. The Communist Party of India-Marxist, which heads the Left Front, and the Congress drew a blank in the polls held on Sunday.

Elections were held for seven urban local bodies which make up five municipalities, one notified authority and one municipal corporation. Votes are being counted today.

The BJP and CPM had both demanded that the polls be cancelled alleging that the ruling Trinamool used violence and the elections booth capturing to rig and "made a mockery of democracy, Especially in Durgapur, Sunday's elections were held amid violence."

Mamata Banerjee's winning coninues in todays result streak in her state, where she swept assembly elections last year to win a second term as Chief Minister. Since then, her party has dominated local body elections, winning four of seven municipal bodies for which elections were held in in May this year, including a win in Mirik in the hills of Darjeeling.

After the party came second in a by-election in West Bengal's Kanthi Dakshin assembly seat to the Trinamool earlier this year and increased its vote share substantially since the assembly elections in the one year, Mr Shah had thanked voters for making the BJP "the principal opposition party" in the state.